Continuous centrifugal separators of solid particles appearing in fluids



Nov. 9, 1965 F. u. GARRONE 3,216,577

CQNTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS OF SOLID PARTICLES APPEARING IN FLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1961 INVENTOR. Pal/ 20/62/20 dw Nov. 9, 1965 F. u. GARRONE 3,216,577 CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS OF SOLID PARTICLES APPEARING IN FLUIDS Filed Aug. 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L 15 -14 w A *15 17 17 5 Zi /6 2 INVENTOR.

1. 1 finl'r United States Patent 3,216,577 CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS OF SOLID PARTICLES APPEARING IN FLUIDS Felipe Urbano Garrone, Belgrano 868, Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed Aug. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 136,127 1 Claim. (Cl. 210-331) The present invention refers to improvements for continuous centrifugal separators of solid substances eventually present in fluids and more particularly of crystallized or crystallizable substances which might be in suspension or mixed with fluids of different densities, which separators are especially usable in the sugar industry.

It is obvious that the continuous centrifugal machines at present in use, especially in the sugar industries of the different countries dedicated to this industrial exploitation, are of high cost, large volume, complex construction and finally their output does not compensate in the present situation of the international market the investment which their acquisition represents.

The object of our invention is to provide a continuous centrifugal machine of the most simple construction and highest output, the functioning of which does not require the use of high-power motors and having an output-volume relatively high, especially as compared to similar machines presently known and used for the same purposes.

In fact, our centrifugal machine possesses the particularity that although working on a substantially horizontal level, its useful, active working surface has extremely large dimensions, by virtue of the original conception of its separating means, these being of double action allowing the use of the centrifuge whether same turns in one direction or in the other, which represents another advantage in favor of the respective industry.

Fundamentally, the construction consists of a pair of discoidal members, flat and superposed, between which concentrically arranged and suitably alternated, there are panels of triangular shape, preferably isosceles, of which the vertices opposed to the base are directed towards the center of the discoidal members, these sides being executed in wire mesh of appropriate size, whereas the base itself will be of sheet metal or similar material. In the inside of these spaces there will be evacuation openings to procure an outlet for the fluid remaining from the process, whereas the solid substances or particles will be retained by the wire mesh and through the centrifugal action will slide along the same until accumulating into a circling collector.

Since the revolving of the discs will be made on a horizontal level and taking into account that these will be perfectly balanced, it is possible to obtain an extremely high output with a minimum of power.

A suitable disposition of these panels will allow a total elimination of the fluid substance and the obtention of a practically pure solid product.

So that this invention may be clearly understood, a detailed description is given hereafter and reference made to the accompanying illustrative drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates in top view, with the upper disc partially broken away, an eventual form of execution of this invention.

FIG. 2 represents in perspective an eventual form of execution of the panels of the centrifuge of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the separator showing means for rotating and means for withdrawing the filtered substances therefrom.

In these figures the identical reference numbers indicate equal or corresponding parts.

Regarding the accompanying drawings, the turnable portion of the machine which is the object of this invention, includes fundamentally a pair of superposed concentrate discoidal members 1, 2, separated one from the other by a suitable distance and including between themselves a plurality of wall means forming triangular shaped cells 3, preferably having an isosceles triangular configuration in which the vertex opposed to the base is directed towards the center of the discs and consists of non-liquid permeable material, whereas, sides are formed by wire mesh 4, 5, mounted on perforated metal sheets 4', 5', which are preferably inwardly curved. Adjacent to the base of each cell, the lower discoidal member includes openings 7 through which the liquid may fiow out of the cells.

These cells are disposed alternately so as to originate a continuous curved action surface for the fluid to be treated which is recevied fiom the central bin 8 through a multitude of lateral perforations 9.

So as to assure the continuity of the process, avoiding the interruption of same due to a defective displacement of the fluid to be treated, the vertices of the spaces or cells farthest away from the center penetrate in between those spaces or cells which are nearest to the center, as may be clearly appreciated from the drawing in FIG. 1.

As appears clearly from the illustrated drawings, the fluid containing the solid particles in suspension which must be separated into liquid and solids flows into the central bin 8 through inlet pipe 11 whence by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the pair of discs, is forced to leave through the lateral openings 9, to proceed towards the edges and then following a zig-zag course between the cells and dashing against the walls of wire mesh 4, 5, on the sides of the cells the fluid passes to the inside of the cells whereas the solid particles are retained and gradually projected towards the outer portions of the assembly, and finally fall into a receptive collector 10 which surrounds the pair of discs and which may be funnel-shaped at its lower portion 16, through the opening 12 of which the solids may fall out of the separator. The liquid leaves cells 3 through openings 7. Pipes 13 may be connected to the openings through which the liquid may flow in a receiver 14 (FIG. 3). From there, it may flow out of the separator through a pipe 15, which can be connected to a pipe system. The collector 10, 16, which forms the casing of the separator, may be supported by a support 17 connected to a frame 18 which at the same time supports also an electric motor 19, the shaft 20 of which is connected to the pair of concentric discoidal members 1 and 2 for turning and supporting the same.

It is understood that the present invention is not in any way limited to the example herewith described and represented, but that modifications of form and/or details can be made to same and which shall have to be comprised within the meanings of this invention, determined in the claims in pursuance of this descriptive memorandum.

I claim:

In a centrifuge adapted for continuously separating solid particles from a suspension containing the same, in combination, a pair of concentric discoidal members arranged parallel to and spaced from each other; a plurality of wall means located between and contacting said pair of discoidal members and arranged so as to form between said discoidal members a plurality of triangular cells having vertices directed towards the center of said discoidal members, the wall means of each of said triangular cells comprising inwardly curved liquid permeable lateral walls in contact with each other at the vertex of the respective triangular cell and a liquid impermeable base Wall farther distant from the center of said discoidal members than the lateral walls of the respective cell, the individual triangular cells being so arranged as to form therebetween a plurality of zig-zag paths in the direction from the center of said discoidal members towards the periphery thereof; means for introducing a suspension of solid particles in a liquid to be filtered into the space defined between said pair of discoidal members near the center thereof; means for withdrawing filtered liquid of said suspension from the interior of said triangular cells, respectively; means for withdrawing solids of said suspension from the space between said pair of discoidal members near the periphery thereof; and means for rotating said discoidal members and said cells therebetween about an axis extending through the center of said pair of discoidal members, whereby upon rotating of said discoidal members and said cells and upon introduction of a suspension to be filtered, the liquid of said suspension will enter said triangular cells through said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,651,416 9/53 Van Der Mark et al. 2l0-380 REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner. 

